Page 117 of Wolf Mate

Even though I didn’t want to remove my head from his chest, I forced myself to, needing to comfort him. I might also wind up licking him if I wasn’t careful. For now, I touched his face, his scruff prickly under my fingertips. I stared into his eyes and said, “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad. I was explaining.”

He kissed me, the electricity shooting down to my soul, and my chest expanded almost painfully from how much love I held for him.

I took a shaky breath, and he leaned back a little and asked, “Are you okay?”

“When we touch, it’s—” I didn’t know how to explain it.

Winking, he booped me on the nose. “It’s because we completed the bond the best we can.” He leaned down and sniffed my neck where he’d bitten me and growled, “And damn, I love that my scent is all over you.” He brushed his lips against the spot, and a shiver ran through my body. Need building up once more.

When my hand inched downward to slip under his jeans and boxers, he gripped my wrist.

The rejection burned, and I jerked back. “I’m sorry. I just—”

“Oh, you thought right.” He smiled at me tenderly, and that spot in my chest warmed again. “But I need to talk with Keith, Adam, Josie, and Lucy for a minute.”

I snorted bitterly. “Yeah, without the human. Got it.” Not even ten minutes after having sex for the first time and bonding as mates, he was excluding me from his friends. And here I’d thought the secrecy thing was over.

“Hey,” he said gently, turning my face back toward him. “It’s not like that. They’ll know something is different about me even without you biting me. My scent won’t be the same since I bit you. It’ll be clear that I’m taken and that nothing can come between us. That’s how the fated-mate bond works, so believe me when I say I’m not trying to hide it. But Keith will get angry and potentially shift, which could put you in danger. I can’t allow that to happen, so I need a chance to handle him before you join us.”

My cheeks hurt, and I realized I had a huge smile on my face. Then understanding washed over me. “Wait. Your parents will also know immediately?” Though I didn’t want us to be secret, I’d understood why he’d wanted to ease his parents into the knowledge of us being together.

“Yup, and don’t worry. I understood what was at stake when we bonded. Like I told you earlier, I can’t live without you, and I refuse to.” His eyes glowed and he huffed. “I really don’t want to go, but Keith and Adam are demanding that I join them. The four of them have been working on trying to hide what happened in the woods without involving the witches. They’re finishing up, and he’s about to head here, so I need to meet them outside. I’ll text you when it’s time for you to join us. I shouldn’t be more than fifteen or twenty minutes.”

That was enough time to shower and clean up so I didn’t show up smelling like blood and sex. I suspected that would only add to the tension. “Okay.” I stood, not bothering to grab my clothes, and winced slightly from the tenderness between my legs. There was no point in being shy around him now, especiallysince Lucy wasn’t here. “Let me go getfeline Keithso she doesn’t attack you. Then I’ll take a quick shower.”

When Raffe’s irises glowed, I suspected it had everything to do with me. He smirked. “You’re going to get clean so I have to claim you all over again as soon as we get home?”

“Unless you want to go for another round now?” Even if I was sore, I could easily have sex with him again.

“Not a chance, even though I want to.” He stood and fastened his jeans then kissed me gently. “I saw you wince when you stood up. You need time to heal, so no more sex tonight.”

My jaw dropped. “But you justsaid—”

“That I would have to get my scent all over you again. We’ve done that plenty before tonight. There are other ways to orgasm, though nothing will ever beat doing it inside you.” He slipped his shirt on. “Tonight, we’ll have to make do. I refuse to hurt you.”

Damn him for taking care of me. At least with this. I pouted, and he chuckled.

“Go get your cat so I can get out of here before wolf-shifter Keith comes in and makes things worse. If he insults you or threatens you, I could very likely kill him. That’s part of why I need you not to be with us at first.”

That spot in my chest tightened with rage, and I had no doubt Raffe meant every word even though it was directed at one of his best friends. “Fine. You would miss him, and I don’t want that on my conscience.” That, and I didn’t want Raffe killing anyone over me. That didn’t sit right, but damn if it didn’t thrill me to know he would without hesitation. Something had to be wrong with me.

I opened my door to find Keith, the cat, in front of it. Her back was arched as if she’d been waiting for Raffe to leave so she could attack him. I wasn’t sure if she was protecting me or herself, but either way, I admired her vigilance.

As soon as I picked her up and held her to my chest, she began to purr.

Raffe didn’t hesitate, and within seconds, he was out the door to meet up with his friends.

I carried Keith into the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower then put the cat down and grabbed a towel. I looked at my reflection in the mirror … and stared.

My cognac-brown eyes looked brighter, and my cheeks were rosy, giving me a happy glow. I’d never seen this version of me, but I sensed I’d found a piece of me.

Maybe there was something to this fated-mate bond, and Raffe and I truly were each other’s missing link.

I couldn’t help but worry about what was going on between him and wolf-shifter Keith. Lucy swore Keith was loyal, and I hoped that was the case. Our bond had been completed as much as it could be, so it wasn’t like Keith could do anything about it.

The mirror fogged over from the steam, and I tried to force my worry away as I climbed into the shower. Keith huffed and plopped onto the counter, probably upset that she couldn’t find a warm place to lie down.

The warmth of the shower eased some of the soreness between my legs. After I got clean, I quickly dried off and headed back to my room, Keith following me.

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